UK employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to construction workers free of charge whenever a risk assessment shows it is needed. This duty comes from the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPER 1992) as amended by the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (PPER 2022), which came into force on 6 April 2022 and extended the free PPE duty to agency and casual workers. An employer cannot charge a worker for PPE, for its replacement, or for its maintenance. This guide explains every piece of PPE used on UK construction sites, the exact legal duties behind each one, and how to select the right equipment.
PPE law in Great Britain starts with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which places general duties on employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers. The specific PPE duties come from four main sets of regulations that apply on construction sites:
Two further sets of regulations drive PPE use for specific hazards: the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require hearing protection at certain noise levels, and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) drive respiratory protective equipment and gloves where workers are exposed to dust, silica and chemicals. Full guidance is published by the HSE PPE regulations pages and in the official HSE guidance booklet Personal protective equipment at work (L25).
The table below summarises the main types of PPE found on UK sites, what each protects against, and the law or regulation behind it.
| PPE Item | Protects Against | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Safety helmet | Head injury from falling objects and striking the head | Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989, regs 3 and 4 |
| Safety boots | Falling objects, penetration by nails, slips | PPER 1992 |
| Hi-vis clothing | Being struck by moving vehicles and plant | PPER 1992 |
| Eye protection | Flying particles, dust, chemical splashes | PPER 1992 |
| Hearing protection | Noise-induced hearing loss | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 |
| Protective gloves | Cuts, abrasion, dermatitis, chemicals | PPER 1992 and COSHH 2002 |
| Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) | Silica dust, wood dust, fumes, sprays | COSHH 2002 |
| Fall arrest equipment | Falls from height | Work at Height Regulations 2005 |
Under PPER 1992 as amended by PPER 2022, the duties are split between the employer and the worker. HSE enforcement inspectors check both sides during site inspections.
| The Employer Must | The Worker Must |
|---|---|
| Provide suitable PPE free of charge after a risk assessment and a PPE suitability assessment | Use the PPE properly, in line with training and instruction |
| Maintain, clean, store and replace the PPE provided | Return PPE to the storage area provided by the employer |
| Provide sufficient information, instruction and training on PPE use | Report lost or defective PPE to the employer |
| Ensure PPE is compatible so one item does not make another ineffective | Not intentionally damage or misuse the PPE provided |
The most important recent change in PPE law affects construction directly, because construction uses more agency workers, subcontract labour and casual workers than almost any other UK industry. Before 6 April 2022, employers only had to provide free PPE to employees. Since PPER 2022 came into force, the duty extends to limb (b) workers, defined using section 230(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996: workers who have a contract to do work personally but are not employees. In practice this means agency labour, zero-hours workers and casual groundworkers must now receive the same free, suitable PPE as directly employed staff. There must be no difference in how PPE is provided to employees and limb (b) workers. The HSE confirms that these changes do not apply to the genuinely self-employed, though other construction regulations still require self-employed trades to use PPE where a risk exists.
PPE is legally the last line of defence, not the first. The HSE hierarchy of controls requires dutyholders to deal with risk in this order, from most effective to least effective: elimination (physically remove the hazard), substitution (replace the hazard), engineering controls (isolate people from the hazard), administrative controls (change the way people work), and only then PPE (protect the worker with personal protective equipment). A site that issues hard hats instead of installing edge protection on a roof has the hierarchy backwards. The same principle appears in the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which require collective protection such as guardrails, scissor lifts and tower scaffolds to be considered before personal protection such as a harness and energy-absorbing lanyard, because collective protection protects everyone without depending on individual action.
The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989 require suitable head protection to be provided, maintained and replaced, and employers must ensure it is worn where there is a foreseeable risk of head injury. Hard hats should be replaced after any significant impact and checked regularly for cracks and damage to the harness.
Safety footwear protects against the two most common foot injuries on site: crushed toes from dropped loads and penetration from nails through the sole. Under PPER 1992 it must be provided free where the risk assessment requires it, which on almost every UK construction site it does.
High-visibility clothing is essential wherever workers share space with vehicles and plant. Being struck by a moving vehicle is one of the most common causes of construction fatalities in the UK, which is why hi-vis is standard PPE on roads, infrastructure and most building sites.
Eye protection is required for cutting, grinding, drilling, chipping and any task generating flying particles or chemical splashes. PPER 1992 requires it to be suitable for the risk, compatible with other PPE such as respirators, and maintained so vision is not compromised.
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set fixed action values. At the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A) daily exposure, employers must make hearing protection available and provide information and training. At the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), hearing protection must be provided and its use enforced. The exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) must never be exceeded. An angle grinder, breaker or cut-off saw can easily exceed these levels, which is why ear defenders or plugs are standard on UK sites. Details are on the HSE noise regulations page.
Wet cement and concrete are among the most common causes of occupational dermatitis in construction. COSHH 2002 requires exposure to be controlled, and suitable gloves are part of that control alongside skin care and good washing facilities.
Silica dust from cutting stone, concrete and bricks causes silicosis and lung cancer, and is a major COSHH concern on UK sites. The HSE RPE guidance requires tight-fitting facepieces to be fit tested for each individual worker, because a poor face seal leaks contaminated air regardless of the filter quality. RPE must be selected to match the task, the substance and the wearer.
Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require the right equipment to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. HSE guidance is clear that a fall-arrest harness must be worn correctly and connected with an energy-absorbing lanyard to a suitable anchor point, and that ladders should only be used for light work of short duration, a maximum of 30 minutes at a time. Harness use requires training, inspection before every use and a rescue plan.
HSE guidance requires a PPE suitability assessment before equipment is chosen. Correct PPE selection follows five checks, all drawn from the PPER 1992 duty to provide equipment that is suitable: it must protect against the specific risks identified in the risk assessment; it must fit the individual worker, which for RPE means a facepiece fit test; it must be compatible with other PPE worn at the same time; it must be suitable for the wearer and the environment, taking account of heat, movement and the task; and it must carry CE or UKCA marking, showing it meets the required product standards. All PPE placed on the market in Great Britain must meet the requirements of UK product safety law, and employers should buy from reputable suppliers who can confirm compliance.
HSE inspectors include PPE assessment in routine construction inspections, and enforcement ranges from verbal advice to improvement notices, prohibition notices and prosecution. The stakes are high. HSE statistics for 2024/2025 record 126 workers killed in work-related accidents across Great Britain, with construction consistently the sector with the highest number of fatal injuries, and the estimated annual cost of workplace injury and ill health is £22.9 billion. Falls from height and being struck by moving vehicles remain among the biggest killers, and both are managed with the PPE and equipment described in this guide. Full statistics are published at hse.gov.uk/statistics.
Yes. Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, employers must provide suitable PPE free of charge, and PPER 2022 confirms an employer cannot charge a worker for PPE in any circumstances.
Yes. Since 6 April 2022, PPER 2022 extends the free PPE duty to limb (b) workers, which covers agency workers, zero-hours workers and casual workers on construction sites.
Hearing protection must be made available at the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A) daily noise exposure and must be provided and worn at the upper action value of 85 dB(A), under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
No. PPE is the last resort in the hierarchy of controls. Elimination, substitution, engineering controls and administrative controls must all be considered before relying on PPE.
A worker may use their own equipment only if the employer has assessed it as suitable and maintains it, and the employer must still ensure adequate protection. The legal duty to provide PPE free of charge always remains with the employer.
Angajatorii din Marea Britanie trebuie sa ofere echipament de protectie individuala gratuit pentru toti muncitorii de pe santier, conform Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, modificate prin PPER 2022, in vigoare din 6 aprilie 2022. Legea acopera acum si muncitorii prin agenti de munca si muncitorii cu contracte temporare. Casca de protectie este obligatorie conform Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989. Protectia auditiva este necesara la 80 dB(A), iar obligatorie si supravegheata la 85 dB(A), conform Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Masca de protectie respiratorie trebuie testata individual pe fata (fit test), conform ghidului HSE pentru RPE. Echipamentul anti-cadere este reglementat de Work at Height Regulations 2005. Angajatorul nu poate taxa niciodata muncitorul pentru EPI. In 2024/2025, 126 de muncitori au murit in accidente de munca in Marea Britanie, iar constructiile raman sectorul cu cele mai multe decese. Cautati sitejobs-code15 pe Google pentru locuri de munca in constructii in UK.
Punedhenesit ne Mbreterine e Bashkuar duhet te sigurojne pajisjet e mbrojtjes personale (PPE) falas per te gjithe punetoret ne ndertim, sipas Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, si modifikuar nga PPER 2022, ne fuqi nga 6 prill 2022. Ligji perfshon tani punetoret nga agjencite dhe punetoret casual. Casca eshte e detyrueshme sipas Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989. Mbrojtja e te degjuarit ofrohet nga 80 dB(A) dhe eshte e detyrueshme nga 85 dB(A) sipas Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Maskat respiratore duhet te testohen individualisht (fit test) sipas udhezimeve HSE. Pajisjet kunder renies rregullohen nga Work at Height Regulations 2005. Punedhenesi nuk mund te mbuloje asnjehere punetorin per PPE. Ne 2024/2025, 126 punetore vdiqen ne aksidente pune ne MB, dhe ndertimi mbetet sektori me me shume vdekje. Kerkoni sitejobs-code15 ne Google per vende pune ne ndertim ne MB.
Rabotodately v Velikobritanii obyazany besplatno obespechivat rabochikh sredstvami individualnoy zashchity (SIZ) na stroitelnykh ploshchadkakh soglasno Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, izmenennym reglamentom PPER 2022, deystvuyushchemu s 6 aprelya 2022 goda. Zakon teper pokryvayet takzhe rabochikh iz agentstv i vremennykh rabochikh. Kaska obyazatelna po Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989. Zashchita slukha predostavlyayetsya ot 80 dB(A) i obyazatelna ot 85 dB(A) po Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Respiratory dolzhny prokhodit individualnuyu podgonku (fit test) po rukovodstvu HSE. Sredstva zashchity ot padeniy s vysoty reglamentiruyutsya Work at Height Regulations 2005. Rabotodatel nikogda ne mozhet vzimat platu s rabochego za SIZ. V 2024/2025 godu 126 rabochikh pogibli pri nes chastnykh sluchayakh na rabote v VB, i stroitelstvo ostayetsya sektorom s naibolshim chislom smertelnykh sluchayev. Ischite sitejobs-code15 v Google dlya vakansiy v stroitelstve v VB.
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